Arcadius
Arcadius, better known as Cade, was the world's first psychic who in death came to be known as the Devil and creator of Hell.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Early History |-|Prior to 750 B.C.= Arcadius was born in a village situated on an island in the Mediterranean. He was gifted with the ability to see into the minds of others as the world's very first psychic. He had used his powers to empathize and help others which led him to be loved by his fellow villagers. However, when he had used his powers to peer into a man's mind and saw his "impure" thoughts for a young woman in the village, he approached the man with an offer to help quell his "urges" using his gift. The man, however, was mortified and furious so instead he had turned the villagers against Arcadius. Together with a mob of villagers, the man had Arcadius captured and burnt at the stake. In his final moments, Arcadius feeling anguish and betrayal at being unjustly murdered by the very people he helped, he let out a psychic blast, as he was set ablaze, that was so powerful that it created it's very own dimension which would come to be known as hell. Arcadius' soul resided in this new world of his and from then on he would collect the souls of the wicked who had died and feast on them.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius |-|After 750 B.C.= After his death, other people born with the same gift as him were persecuted and exiled to the island he once inhabited to die. At some point two psychics named Sybil and Seline lived on the island and unbeknownst to Sybil, Seline was tricking her into luring men to the shores of the Island with their powers, not for their cargo but the bodies of the men themselves which she used to feed them. When Sybil tried to commit suicide after learning of Seline's lies and cannibalism Arcadius approached them. He offered them eternal life provided that they feast on the flesh of mortals for eternity while he harvests the souls of their victims. Seline agreed on both of their behalves and the Sirens were born.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Throughout The Vampire Diaries Series |-|Season Five= In Gone Girl, Arcadius was not seen but is the reason behind Katherine Pierce's sentencing to Hell. |-|Season Eight= In An Eternity of Misery, Sybil reveals her backstory to Stefan while implying that this is what Arcadius wishes for her to do. She also reveals Cade's name and origins to Stefan. Through her flashbacks, Sybil informs Stefan that Cade was the world's first psychic. He was a kind man who used his powers to help his fellow villagers until one turned on him in fear, and rallied the village against him to burn him at the stake. In his dying moments, his anger at their betrayal caused him to unleash a psychic blast that created a new dimension that Cade's spirit controlled, a place that would be called Hell, where Cade punished the souls of the people who betrayed him as well as the souls of wicked people for eternity. Elsewhere as a bedtime story to Lizzie and Josie Saltzman, Seline tells them the story of Arcadius. He also called forth Georgie's soul to hell when she was killed by Seline. In Detoured On Some Random Backwoods Path to Hell, Cade is summoned by Seline in an attempt to bargain for her and Sybil's freedom. She offers the twin siphon girls Lizzie and Josie Saltzman as replacements for the Sirens. Cade tells Sybil he is intrigued by the offer before Sybil makes a counter offer. Sybil offers Cade the Salvatore brothers as the willing replacements for the Sirens as they are powerful vampires with bloody histories. Damon masterminded the deal and convinced Stefan to accept in order to spare Caroline and Alaric's twin girls. Sybil reveals she secretly altered the deal so Cade allowed her to still be an immortal Siren, but is no longer bound for Hell, while Seline must still go to Hell as revenge for leaving Sybil in the Vault centuries ago. Cade accepted Sybil's deal, and granted Stefan a day left of freedom before his deal activates. In The Next Time I Hurt Somebody, It Could Be You, In Nostalgia's a Bitch, Sybil and Seline are sitting in a diner arguing and trying to make amends, moments later Cade walks inside and expresses his disappointment over their constant bickering. Shocked to see him, Cade reveals that the bell was rang enough to give him an appearance on earth. The Sirens attempt to convince Cade they could manage to work together, but Cade decline their offer and killed both sisters, consumed in hellfire.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Personality Firstly, Arcadius was shown to be a nice, decent and sociable person. He put on a sweet smile and walked among the villagers as one of them. Dealt with them as an equal with a good temper that all people around him knew as a marked trait for him. He also was a wise counselor who tried to use his psychic powers in mind reading to help people control their urges and tempt their impure desires until he was unjustly punished by his neighbors. That is when his temper grew bad and as he took his last breaths, he decided to make them all suffer for what they did to him. Embittered by his death, Cade became more quiet and subdued in his dealings with others, not showing empathy, and giving off a sinister air and having no qualms about tormenting others no matter how small or insignificant their "sin" was, even if such a deed was an accident. Cade also had no reluctance in entertaining the thought of warping innocent children into one day being the Siren's replacements. Cade lacks any of his original optimism and faith in humanity. Due to his death at the hands of his own people, his personality has been warped to the point that he delights in human suffering, as he tells Stefan that he wanted him as a servant ever since the Monterrey incident because he considers it a masterpiece. Cade doesn't just seek to punish and feed off the wicked but actively wants to corrupt those who would otherwise lead a decent and moral life. In his eyes, anyone who can be made to be wicked, is already wicked and to this end, he desires to have them tempted to fall from their moral path. In this regard, he lives up to his given nickname of "the Devil" which in some versions, is depicted as either a tempter and/or a fallen angel seeking to corrupt mankind.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Physical Appearance Arcadius was of African descent, as well as being a built muscular man, he was about 6'6" tall and looks to appear to be in his early thirties. He had a full lower lip, dark brown eyes, wide cheekbones and dark skin color.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Appearances Season Five *''Gone Girl'' (unseen) Season Eight *''An Eternity of Misery'' (flashback) *''Coming Home Was a Mistake (mentioned) *''Detoured On Some Random Backwoods Path to Hell'' *''The Next Time I Hurt Somebody, It Could Be You'' *''We Have History Together'' (mentioned) *''The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch'' (mentioned) *''Nostalgia's a Bitch'' *''You Made a Choice to Be Good'' *''What Are You?'' *''The Lies Will Catch Up To You'' *''It's Been a Hell of a Ride'' *''I Was Feeling Epic'' (mentioned) Powers and Abilities |-|Psychic= Arcadius possessed all the standard powers and abilities of a human/psychic, but at the moment of his death he had awakened a rare ability to create another dimension with a powerful psychic blast. An ability so unique that no other being with psychic powers has ever matched until Bonnie Bennett created her own psychic dimension at the moment of Enzo's death. Seline claims that Arcadius was the first psychic, born with the ability to look into the minds of others. This gift gave him great empathy towards others but would eventually cost him his life. In his final moments, he came to know true evil of men and upon his dying breath created an entire dimension with a psychic blast, an extreme display of power that altered the very cycle of life and death; this dimension was called Hell.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius |-|Spirit= As a spirit, Arcadius resides within and rules his own psychic dimension. He is capable of calling forth evil souls and can even deny them entry into the Other Side, forcing them into Hell, forever punished for their wicked deeds no matter how small. Since he is called 'The Devil', it is unlikely that he has ultimate control over the souls that pass over into the Afterlife (those that have found peace), however the means of this have not been established. Seemingly, he also has the ability to release souls from Hell, upon his own volition, specifically those that have escaped via the Founder's Bell. He can inhabit the limbo between the afterlife to communicate with those temporarily stuck in limbo. With a body of water, human sacrifice and fire, he can be summoned to the world of the living as an apparition. Even after his resurrection, he retains the ability to inhabit limbo via his psychic abilities. Some time after his death, he was able to appear before Seline and Sophia in a moment of need and made a deal with Seline. He would grant immortality, youth and beauty to her and her sisters, creating the first Sirens, in return for the souls of humanity's worst. The only stipulation was for them to feast on human flesh in order to maintain their forms. He would later extend the same gift of immortality to both Stefan and Damon Salvatore. However, in both cases, his subjects would still physically die, giving them the opportunity to converse with one another. Once finished, he is able to send them back, giving them their lives back.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius |-|Immortal= Cade took advantage of the ringing of the Mystic Falls Founders Bell. Cade was able to "pay a visit on Earth" since it was only rung 11 times (1 time shy of unleashing hellfire) but sufficient enough to make cracks between the two planes of existence. Since he was dead and a spirit within his own dimension, it is currently unknown exactly how he was able to become 'flesh' as other escaped spirits were still tied to hell. *'Immortality:' Upon his "resurrection", Cade is, seemingly, functionally immortal as he showed Damon that he is physically unfazed by fire (or Hellfire) and that he could still function properly despite his heart being detached from his body. Whether this was a physical manifestation or a psychic illusion remains to be seen. *'Enhanced Strength:' As he is as much a part of his psychic dimension as it is of him, Hell's energies enhanced his strength and power to unimaginable levels. Cade was strong enough to easily overpower Damon and he clearly outmatched a human Stefan Salvatore in physical combat. He further showcased his great strength when he single-handedly snapped an unnamed Hybrid's neck. *'Enhanced Reflexes:' Cade was able to best Damon Salvatore's reflexes, despite the latter being a near two century old vampire. *'Psychic Powers:' Since his return he has shown to have retained his psychic powers and his control over other spirits within Hell. Cade is often regarded as the most powerful psychic to have ever existed. **'Mind Reading:' Arcadius could see into the minds of others, enabling him to read their thoughts and access their memories. Arcadius was shown to be able to read the minds of others with focus, allowing him to ascertain certain information from other's minds at a distance and discreetly. Regardless, tactical contact allowed him to search through the deeper recesses of a person's mind. **'Mind Control:' Cade has been shown to compel masses, without making eye contact and through sheer willpower alone. His compulsion far surpasses any other creature and has even been shown to override other's mind control. **'Psychic Pain Infliction:' Cade could use his psychic abilities to cause mental pain onto others. He was shown mentally forcing Damon to perceive being set aflame in hell. **'Mediumship:' Cade could open his mind so as to commune with disembodied spirits. He also had a limited control over such spirits, being able to suck them into his psychic world or return them to their physical bodies, effectively reviving them. **'Hellfire Manipulation:' Cade can also control his dimension's own hellfire, as his world is really a massive psychic imprint of the moment of his death; Cade was burnt at the stake, making his psychic world a ball of fire. This psychic fire was incredibly powerful and capable of destroying anything within its path. Cade has used this ability to incinerate others, liquify people from within, and set objects aflame.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Weaknesses |-|Psychic= Arcadius had the typical weaknesses of a human/psychic while he was still mortal.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius |-|Spirit= As a Spirit, he was still bound to the afterlife and could not physically interact with the physical plane.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius |-|Immortal= After being resurrected from Hell, he had obtained a form of immortality and could not be killed by conventional means. Though he was not without weaknesses. *'Bone Dagger of Arcadius:' He could only be killed if fatally wounded by a weapon made from his bones. *'Cure:' It had been suggested that the Cure could potentially turn him mortal and susceptible to typical weaknesses of a normal human, although it was never put into practice and was not guaranteed to work. *'Mystic Falls Founders Bell:' An indestructible bell that amplifies the affects of the Staff of Arcadius when combined with the Maxwell Striker, allowing it to produce a frequency that disrupts psychic activity. **'Staff of Arcadius:' An ancient Mesopotamian tuning fork that operates at an unknown frequency that is capable of disrupting psychic abilities and thus stunning Cade.http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius Name *'Arcadius' is the latinized form of "Arkadios". It derives from an ancient Greek name meaning "of Arcadia". Arcadia was a region in Greece, its name deriving from "arktos" meaning "bear". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr. *'Cade', in this case, derives from the name "Arcadius". Standing alone, it comes from a Welsh origin and is a diminutive form of Cadell. It means "small battle; spirit of the battle".http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadius References Category:Characters Category:The Vampire Diaries Characters Category:Mediums Category:Ghosts Category:Males Category:Deceased Characters